5 Signs Proves You Are Working In a Toxic Environment and How to Effectively Deal with it.

All the organisations, whether giant conglomerates or small enterprises likely to consist a substantial credible threat to become highly toxic. The potent negative influence can easily permeate all over the workplace environment like a wildfire. It is pretty insidious and extremely impossible to understand from which corner of the operation the dilemma arising and how to prevent such menace.

It all starts with “Human-behavior” which holds an outstanding significance. Toxic human-behavior can also be called “Loss of Human Touch” if present in your environment can shift your barometers especially in work culture where you tend to spend most of the time. A Human lies, bully, cheats, create drama, discrimination, favoritism, infighting, gossips, aggression, hate, steal, disrespectful are the most common but proven to be hazardous for the professionals who becomes vulnerable and never choose to retaliate with malice or disagreement in fear of losing the job or the position they have garnered.

These looming-out-of-the-box fragility is be immensely piousness and weigh down to the professional’s mental health.

Before we deep dive into how to deal with it let us understand why it is the “human –behavior” which is solely responsible for languishing a peaceful and productive balance in the working environment.

Well! It is a simplest term which often creates a havoc in Human in life through their behavior, “Cognitive dissonance”.

It is the most prevailing factor of all kind which encourages a phenomenal shift in behavioral patterns of human due to certain misinterpretation. We human beings are creatures of various incredible emotions, emotions which shapes realms of perception and also manifest internal ideologies within us.

Cognitive dissonance arises when our internal ideology is under threat due to certain episodes; for instance, individuals become highly arrogant & discomfort with their “self-image” colliding with “perceived belief or inner reality”.

These are the 5 cognitive dissonance signs of the professional’s/colleagues present in your environment that suggest your workplace is highly toxic.

·        The Wildcard in all of them is “Human Selfishness”. It is a black plague in every work environment. An individual who exhibit consistently with a certain selfish norms. The one who might be in a desire for grapes by taking a valuable advantage of you.

·        People rain on your “Parade” when they are “Envy” on your “Sun”. Jealousy, the one of a kind dragon which can slay your improvement with fire. Those you flatter you, try to create groupies against you for imbibing negative gossips, sabotaging or even bully you.

·        When you deal with “Boss-but no Boss” situation. Who often approaches favoritism & Nepotism, they one who don’t blame his favorites, the one who discriminates, the one who has no leadership skills of “team building and team leading” approaches. And also notice if your boss is having an exploitation behavior.

·        The place which is blind to see the enabled sexual harassment's like - flirting, inappropriate touch, sexual comments and jokes etc.

·        Disrespectful and rudeness by seniors to their subordinates



How to Deal with such looming phenomena

“Meditate for 10 minutes” in the middle of the break or you leap into any work - (Always remember! Cultivate mindfulness and concentration)

-         Practice Hypnosis in your workplace – Hypnosis is a self-meditating practice and is the answer to reduce peripheral mental health condition in professionals.

-         One Simple Technique “Mental Imaginary technique” to keep you going

-         Relax on the chair, Close your eyes, breath slowly and evenly from stomach and not from the chest and deep dive into the past recalling amazing moments which keeps the ability to make you feel energized and happy.

-         After a particular imagination return back with a good feelings from the memory you have garnered.

“Dealing with Selfishness”

(Always remember! Their aim is to utilize your best qualities for their specific benefits)

-         First and foremost try to comprehend their possible needs towards you.

-         Starve them for the attention they carve.

-         Stay true to yourself and your work by not allowing yourself to do any favors for them.

-         Give yourself the attention you deserve the most.

-         And do not quit for whatever reasons

“Dealing with jealous people”

(Always remember! Their aim is to put your gut feelings down, harm your existence and put you in an anguishing situations)

-         Stop Comparing to yourself with others and keep your goals focused within you.

-         Don’t Change your inner belief due to any negative comment.

-         Show the one respect who envies you.

-         Be alone and accomplish your “self-goals” if you don’t fit into their group.

-         Always smile and greet them happily so to avoid any face to face conflicts.

-         Don’t pay attention to what they say about you because they do not finance your ambitions and needs.

-         Don’t tell them your plans.

-         Don’t tell them your techniques of achieving.

-         Keep surprising them with your constant achievement and performance.

“Dealing with Boss-no-Boss Situation”

(Always remember! We must all take an attempt to buffer the negative effect of bias present in the environment)

-         Speak up! Understand the environment, see if your colleagues are going through the same situation, speak to them openly regarding the same for a perfect solution and have a support system against the prejudice act of discrimination.

-          Recognize the different job level or a job tittle. An individual may granted a task as per his level of responsibility and challenges you might be unaware of.

-         Concentrate on targeted recruitment strategies.

-         Don’t hesitate to complain for any discrimination or exploitation behavior. Keep a detail log of events if in case you decide to complain your HR recruiters, human resources department.

-         Be calm and patient and ask your seniors to come out with a solution for the same

“Dealing with Sexual Harassment”

(Always remember! Do not be afraid to retaliate and report against the misconduct)

-         First and foremost, don’t treat yourself as a victim, be strong enough to fight back

-         Understand the body language if it is inappropriate

-         Retaliate with a professional attitude by avoiding the person and not speaking to the person except if there’s any work lagging.

-         You must also have an appropriate body language of strictness, be typically strict and set some rules with the person who tries to flirt, comment or joke.

-         If touches inappropriately, say no, scream and shout front of everyone be bold enough to thrash the person ( This makes the people around you aware of the misconduct and same shall the person never try it again due to image-shaming situations) 

-         When alone with the person for some pending task or traveling for a business meeting, kindly carry some appropriate amours with you like “Body spray” – to directly spray on the persons eye, learn some of the best fighting techniques to hit the person possibly very hard that he might never try the same thing again with you.

-         If things are really worse seek judicial help which is the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 is a legislative act in India that seeks to protect women from any sexual harassment at their place of work. 

“Deal with Disrespectful and rudeness”

(Always remember! Don’t take things seriously but also don’t take something which isn’t appropriate to you characteristics)

-         Don’t be impatient with your answers

-         Neutralize your body language

-         If you want answer back, cleverly approach for the same.

-         Don’t fight with your seniors

-         Try building a strong group support   

-         Learn to take negative feedback from your seniors regarding work

-         Don’t allow any judgmental comments in regards to your appearance

-         Ask for clarification, help and problem solving techniques from the same person only once or twice if you do not understand anything

-         Don’t take anything personally